Buying or selling your home can be extremely stressful. However, our team of accredited professional, friendly, and expert conveyancers minimise the stress by taking steps to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible.
We will take away the painful complexities of property law and provide you with a jargon free service. Our team will take the time to listen and understand you and your position and we will work together to get the best result.
Our services include;
- Freehold residential property sales and purchases
- Leasehold residential property sales and purchases
- Equity release mortgages
- Right to buy
- Transfer of equity (transfers from joint names to single or single to joint)
- New leases
- Lease Extensions and enfranchisement
- Mortgages and re-mortgages
- Transfers of existing leasehold properties
- Key worker leases
- Reversionary Property Interest
- Declarations of trust
- Part exchange properties
Residential Sale & Purchase Conveyancing
Our team adhere to the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme CQS standards. Our fully accredited team has extensive practical knowledge to ensure that every Conveyancing transaction is carried out in an accurate and time-efficient manner. The team makes use of its experience and expertise to ensure that a good and marketable title to the land is either secured or, sold and there are no factors which would impede a mortgage or re-sale.
They also offer specialist advice on issues such as the inheritance tax implications of co-ownership.
Buying or selling a property
Buying a or selling a property is one of the most important events in your life for you and your family. We understand that cost is something that is considered when deciding which solicitor to instruct to look after your conveyancing needs.
At A R Brown we strive to provide excellent service for the best value. You can rest assured that your case will be handled by an experienced and qualified professionals with CQS accreditation.
Our business has grown from returning clients and recommendations as a result of the quality of the service that we provide.
Buying or Selling a property. How long will it take?
The time it will take from your offer being accepted until you move into your new home will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 8 to 12 weeks. The time the transaction will take is dependent upon the number of parties in the chain. A short chain will generally be quicker, and a long chain will take longer. For example, if you are buying a property with no chain (i.e. you do not have to sell a property and the seller is not buying a property) then in principle it could take 4 to 6 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer between approximately 5 to 7 months. In such a situation additional charge may be applied.
Stages involved in buying a property
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a property vary according to the circumstances of the matter, however below are some of the key stages applicable to all matters:
Initial stages, documents and advice
- Take instructions and provide you with initial advice
- Receive contract documents, review the document and raise additional enquiries
- Carry out searches, the most common searches are from the local authority and water and drainage service provider
- Obtain planning documents if necessary
- Check finances are in place, obtain mortgage offer and contact lender’s solicitor (if necessary)
- Give you advice on all the documents and information received from the seller’s solicitors
- Go through the mortgage conditions with you
- Draft the Deed of Transfer
- Arrange for the signature of the Deed of Transfer and Mortgage Deed
Exchange
- Send the contract to you for signature
- Agree a completion date (which is the date from which you own the property)
- Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
- Arrange for all monies needed to be received from you and the lender
- Obtain pre-completion searches
Completion
- Complete the purchase
- Deal with the payment of the Stamp Duty (if any)
- Deal with the application for registration of the transfer of the property to you at the Land Registry
Stages involved in selling a property
Initial stages, documents and advice
- Take instructions and provide you with initial advice.
- Check title of the property including the plan.
- Prepare contract of sale
- Obtain mortgage detail
- Obtain energy performance certificate.
- Prepare property information and contents form.
- Prepare management information pack.
- Address enquiries.
Exchange
- Send the contract to you for signature.
- Arrange signature of the Deed of Transfer
- Agree a completion date (which is the date from which you will no longer own the property)
- Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
- Obtain mortgage redemption figure
Completion
- Complete the sale
- Make a payment to redeem the mortgage
- Settle Estate Agents fees
- Account to you in respect of the net proceeds of sale
Equity Release
A R Brown & Co has considerable expertise in the field of Equity Release. Equity Release is a process whereby you can unlock some of the equity which is tied up in your home. This can provide you with either a lump sum or extra income, without the obligation to move or make regular repayments – unless you want to. Equity Release can be a good way to supplement your income and improve your standard of living, but it remains a fairly complicated process, the success of which depends on many factors like age, ownership of property, its value, or the existence of a mortgage.
Re-mortgages
Our team will take care of all the legal work on your behalf including:
- Redeeming your current mortgage
- Assisting you to comply with the terms and conditions of the new mortgage
- Reporting to your new lender that you have satisfied the terms and conditions
- Registering the new mortgage
Lease Enfranchisement
Tenants of flats with long leases can exercise the right, where specific conditions are satisfied to:
- Act together to acquire the freehold of their building (collective enfranchisement)
- Obtain a new lease of their individual flat (lease extension)
The rights were introduced by the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 which, has subsequently been amended by the Housing Act 1996 and the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.
Get in touch
Sam Madron
Senior Conveyancing Executive
01903 237118
sjm@arbrown-solicitors.co.uk